95Till

So I recently just purchased a 99 z28 with an automatic transmission. its mostly stock. Im new to this whole muscle car thing. So when i bought the car i had to replace the Oil pan gasket. while it was leaking, the oil pressure gauge read 40 and went a little higher. Now that i replaced the Oil pan gasket the oil pressure sits a little above 40 when it idles.But when i give it gas it goes a little lower then 40 but it kinda just dances around from 40 to a little under to a little bit higher. it never stays in one place. maybe thats a dumb question but where should it be at? and should it be dancing around that much? i check the oil dipstick and it looked about right. i have a piece of wood sitting under the car to see if it still leaks and theres still oil on it but the oil looks nasty and dirty. the mechanic told me to get it steam cleaned because theres a bunch of oil built up all underneath my car so im guessing that nasty oil dripping is from the old built up oil. But now I see transmission fluid dripping too. I checked the dipstick on trans fluid and it looks right too. they told me it could be the pan or the output shaft seal. How serious is this problem? My transmission was recently rebuilt aswell. Will i be fine driving my car around? or should i put it away till its fixed? i dont race or do burnouts or anything like that but i Know leaking fluids is something that must be taken care of.

SouthernRex

With the LS1 (and if I remember the LT1) the oil pressure jumps all over the place depending on if you are in neutral/gear or engine speed. It's normal to see the gauge moving about.

The only time you should be worried about your oil pressure is if it drops into the red, especially if "CHECK GAUGES" lights up, because that might mean you have a dead oil pump or something.

Sorry, I don't know the answer to your other question.

95Till

Thanks! I appreciate the answer to my first question anyway.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

The fact that you mentioned it goes down when you increase engine speed (give it gas) is concerning. Oil pressure should never drop as rpms raise, and if that's what is happening it could indicate an internal issue - or it might just mean that the oil pressure sending unit (OPSU) is dying. OPSUs are known to fail on these cars, so I would have the oil pressure verified with a mechanical gauge or just replace the sending unit before worrying about the possibility of any bigger issues.

Not necessarily a "must", depending on the fluid and severity of the leak. Some people are extremely **** about leaks and want everything as tight as a drum, but this isn't exactly a requirement for safe operation. I've never had an older car that didn't have at least a minor weep or drip from somewhere. Brake system leaks, and coolant to a lesser degree, are critical and should be dealt with, but minor oil/trans/PS/differential fluid leaks may or may not be much concern, and/or may or may not be worth fixing until/unless they become significant.

In terms of the trans leak specifically, how bad is your leak? I agree that you'll need to clean things up pretty good to find the source of a non-severe leak. Major leaks should be pretty easy to find though.

95Till

Thanks for all that information! and from what i seen on that piece of wood i have sitting under the car the transmission fluid is dripping dime size drips but yet again theyll also be some small puddle of trans fluid just rolling downwards. NOT TOO MUCH though. And about the oil pressure gauge, it doesnt necessarily go down when i increase engine speed but it will be dancing around up and down untill i get to a stop then it just starts to balance out at the 40 range. doesnt go too far down or too far up either.

Firebrian

Since this is a fairly new purchase did you get feedback from the previous owner on the age of the transmission, coolant and differential fluids? A good place to start is just to go through them if unsure or the fluids don't look fresh. If you need any thoughts on which fluids to use just ask. Fwiw my engine oil pressure gauge has been rock steady for the 4 years I've owned it (ie no flutters). It normally ranges from around 38-60 psig on the road...and 40/warm-50/cold psig at 800 rpm idle. After driving around to get everything hot it's usually in the 40's. On some warm summer days last year I can recall seeing 35 psig. This last oil change I went from M1 5w-30 to M1 0w-40 and noticed a few psig increase.

Unless you're seeing puddles forming I would just ensure you keep your levels topped off. After 500-1,000 miles of driving you should have a good handle on it. Leaking transmission fluid on a fresh build is a just a shame...as every seal should have been done. I'd get under there and clean up things with some rags and degreasers. I'm not a fan of hosing down my engine bay or undercarriage to clean it. I know a lot of people do it....it's just not for me. From your description, it doesn't sound like you have a big/immediate issue. The rear main engine seal should have been done when the trans was out.

farmington

iTrader: (14)

a trans leak can also be from overfilling. hard to read actual level at times especially with new fluid in it